ICAI experts to answer GST-related queries through Sahayata Desk

From a Correspondent

Dibrugarh, June 7: The Dibrugarh branch of ERIC of the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, as part of a programme undertaken by PR and CSR Committee of ICAI, will provide advice to small traders and businessmen on Goods and Services Act (GST) related queries through the Sahayata Desk which was formally iugurated from June 6 in the branch premise of ICAI. This Sahayata Desk will remain open from June 6 to September 30, every week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 5 pm to 7pm.   

A meeting held in this regard was presided over by chairman of Dibrugarh Branch of ICAI, Mahavir Bagadia, and attended by Additiol Commissioner of Central Excise and Sales Tax, Dibrugarh Commissionerate,  Bamin Tari and Assistant Commissioner of Taxes, SP Sarmah and senior and junior chartered accountants as well as members of the business community.

Stating the objectives of the meeting, Mahavir Badagia informed the gathering that queries addressed by the ICAI experts through the Sahayata Desk would be free and advice given away by experts would be verbal, no written or audio recording of the same would be allowed.  Any businessman or small trader may approach the Sahayata Desk for migration or enrolment related doubts  on GST who have been left out from the process. Bagadia from the platform appealed to all the members of Dibrugarh Branch  of ICAI to extend their time in answering the questions of the visitors and added that advice should not be disclosed by any Branch member.  He further said that advice on GST would not be given to any trade or industry. Mahavir Bagadia said that GST was a welcome step for all and so he requested all the traders to visit the help desk for better advice on GST migration.

Similar views were expressed by the Additiol Commissioner of Central and Sales Tax, Bamin Tari and Assistant Commissioner of Taxes, S P Sarmah , who in their respective deliberations stated that the One India One Tax or GST  which was knocking at the doorsteps was a welcome and positive step towards binding the country under a single tax. Seva Kendras are also being organized by Central and Sales Tax Department of Dibrugarh and any person or trader might approach the said office for getting their queries answered or for getting help on migration-related process because without enrolling for migration, credit could not be taken nor  invoice could be issued,  Bamin Tari stated.  

Assistant Commissioner of Taxes, SP Sarma said GST had to come and it was on the doorway, so help or Sahayata  desks was an optimistic approach.  He stated if technology helped then it would be easy as the whole enrolment process of GST was technology-based and only the main criteria was uploading which with time would come easy for non-software user. Sharma further said that advice given through Sahayata desks should be of a tural ture, easy for any visitor to understand.

Earlier, all the invited guests and senior Chartered Accountants of Dibrugarh, including the Branch Chairman of ICAI, were felicitated in a traditiol way by the members of ICAI Dibrugarh branch.